New York Minute
by IAmLoopin
Summary: Jimmy's been asked to compete in an international competition, "Battle of the Minds" In New York! Things seem fine, but when a murder attempt en issues, and the kids get a harsh death treat, this competition might be more intense than expected...
1. Chapter 1

YAY! FANFICTIOOOONNNN!!

I wrote this a LONG time ago, but now that I read it over, it seems worth posting! Enjoy!

New York Minute 

Chapter 1.

"Jimmy, are your bags ready yet?"

"Yes mom, I'll be downstairs in a minute!"

Jimmy finished packing his science kit and clothes in his suitcase and lugged it all the way down the stairs.

"Oh good! You're ready to go!" Jimmy's mom said as she walked over to him. She picked up the bag effortlessly and carried it to the car. Suddenly, Carl and Sheen came running in.

"I'm all packed Jimmy! Allergy medication and all!" Carl said in one of his happiest tone of voices.

"Yeah, I've even got my Ultra lord card game for the drive there!" Sheen exclaimed, smiling madly as his eye twitches.

"This trip to New York will be the bomb!!" Carl and Sheen both screamed.

Jimmy had been asked by the government to go to New York and compete in the world child genius competition, competing against a boy and girl from every country for the world cup. Of course Sheen, Carl, Libby and Cindy where coming along for the trip.

"The girls should be here any minute," Jimmy informed Carl and Sheen as he walked out side.

"Neutron, hello!! We're already here!" Cindy's unmistakable voice said.

Jimmy looked up from his watch to see Cindy with her hands on her hips and Libby, listening to another Gray Star CD.

"C'mon kids! We've got to get moving!" Jimmy's dad said from inside the car.

The kids hopped in one by one, with Carl, Sheen and Libby in the middle part of the van, and Cindy and Jimmy sitting in back.

"On the way to New York we have to pick up the girl who's competing with Jimmy for the cup, I believe she doesn't live too far away from New York…We should be at her house in an hour or two." Jimmy's mom said.

"Who is it?" Cindy said, feeling a little bit nervous about another girl around Jimmy.

"I think her name is May… yes, that's it. May." Jimmy's mom replied.

"I hear she's really smart. Well, she has to be to have been accepted in the competition!" Jimmy's mom added.

"Well, let's go!" Jimmy's dad said, and started the engine.

After about one and an hour and a half of talking, playing cards and napping, the car pulled into a drive way of a large brick house that looked like a miniature form of a castle.

"I'll go get her." Jimmy's mom said. She jumped out of the car and ran the door bell on the house.

_BING-BONG!!_

"Hello? Oh! You must be Miss Neutron!" A brown-haired girl opened the door. The kids in the car saw she was wearing a lab coat. Her hair was tied up in a bun, but some had fallen out and was hanging to the side of her face.

"I was just finishing an experiment, I'll be right with you!" the girl said. She smiled, ran into her house for a second, and then came out wearing a plain purple shirt and jeans.

A mechanical cat emerged with her. It resembled Gonnard, but it was a cat rather than a dog.

"Oh, and can I bring my robot cat, Forafauna? She won't be any trouble…" The girl said.

"That's Ok! Jimmy has a robot dog, so be careful. As long as they won't fight she can come" Jimmy's mom told her.

"Thanks!" The girl replied.

She hopped into the car next to Jimmy.

"Hi! I'm May." May said. She shook Jimmy's hand and smiled.

"I'm Jimmy. This is Cindy, Carl, Sheen, and Libby." Jimmy motioned to the other kids.

"Jimmy? That would be short for James right?" May said.

"Yeah, it is." Jimmy replied.

May flashed a smile.

"I Love that name!" She said. Her brown eyes sparkled as she spoke.

_Well, she seems nice…_Thought Jimmy.

_Well, she seems annoying! _Thought Cindy.

For the rest of the ride to New York they talked, and Cindy was growing insanely jealous.

Some where along the trip, Goddard managed to get over to see Forafauna, and instead of fighting they actually liked each other allot. They exchanged a series of barks and meows, and May said that they would probably get along fine.

And then they saw the sign on the highway.

_NEW YORK; TWO MILLES EAST _

"YESSSS!! Only a few minutes 'till we get there!!" Sheen screamed at the top of his lungs.

They followed the highway and there it was: The shimmering, huge city. Traffic filled, totally rushed, and completely beautiful.

It took what seemed like forever to get to the hotel. It towered above them, hitting the sky.

"Wow…this place is ….amazing…" Cindy was able to say, her shock was overcoming her so much.

"I don't think where in Retroville any more…" Carl blurted out.

"WELL DUH!! Wadja' think!? But I agree, THIS PLACE IS AWSOME!!" Sheen interrupted.

The kids ran into the elevator, and went up to the rooms that had already been paid for by the government and prepared for them. The boys would share one room and the girls the other. Jimmy's parents had there own room.

By the time they where all settled down, everyone went to have dinner.

The hotel had a fancy restaurant on the bottom floor, and since it was there first night in New York, they thought it was most convenient. The kids all sat down at one end of the rather long table wile Jimmy's parents sat the other end.

"It's going to be a little bit of a long time before we can order. This place is packed!" May told everyone.

"I think Ultra-Lord should come here some time, he would love this place!!" Sheen exclaimed. Cindy and Libby rolled their eyes.

"So, what are you going to order Cindy?" Libby asked.

"I'm not that hungry, but I might have some soup." Cindy sounded a little depressed.

"Look, Neutron likes you a lot more than May. She doesn't have a chance with Jimmy." Libby said, knowing what Cindy was thinking.

"Well, ok. … HEY! I DO NOT LIKE NEUTRON!!"

"What eva" Libby rolled her eyes.

Cindy shook it off, but secretly admired the help.

"Uh, Jimmy, about the competition, where going to need a strategy to win. The first round is against Russia. We're going to have to work as a team." May said to Jimmy, her eyes locking into his.

"Well, we should do some research on typical Russian techniques, to try and estimate what kind of strategy they will have planed… But it'll be pretty useless, considering we've got no idea what we have to do in the competition…" Jimmy replied.

"Oh, and about your girlfriend Cindy…" May said, but was interrupted.

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!" Jimmy yelled.

"Oh! Sorry… I was just wondering… she seemed so, mad in the car… I was wondering if she's always like that…"

"Well, she's always a bit mean around me. But you're right; she's acting a bit funny lately..." Jimmy couldn't finish his sentence. A waiter came up to the table and said in a fancy voice,

"Can I take your order?"

The kids ordered there food, and then Carl and Sheen got in an argument about ultra lord being dumb.

But when there food came they made peace and woofed it down as if they where some sort of psychos.

Dinner passed without a word, (other than the occasional, "Hey Carl, should I save some of this for Ultra Lord?") and Cindy couldn't help staring at Jimmy. Cindy knew she wanted to talk to him, and eventually got to the courage to.

"Uh, Jimmy…could I talk to you for a minute, out side?" She said quietly.

"Uh… sure." Jimmy answered.

They walked out side, where a fountain, lit up by colored lights was sitting; the only sound was water trickling from the fountain.

"Cindy? You don't look very well, are you ok? You look a bit feverish…" Jimmy remarked, gently sweeping a bit of her hair of her face.

"I'm… I'm… I'm fine…" she started to sway a bit.

"Cindy?" Jimmy cried.

Cindy's knees wobbled and she staggered to the side and tripped.

"Cindy!" Jimmy knelt down, confusion and worry in his features.

"What is it?" Came the voice of May.

She turned the corner to find Jimmy holding an unconscious Cindy.

"OH MY GOD!!" May knelt down beside Jimmy.

"Forafauna, activate antidote shelf!" May cried.

Forafauna lifted up a panel to reveal a line of beakers. She picked up one with purple liquid in side and poured it into Cindy's mouth. Cindy coughed and sat up.

"What…what happened?" Cindy stuttered.

"You fainted or some thing," Jimmy said gravely.

"More than that I think…." May told them. She looked down to Cindy's hand, which was bleeding.

May wiped it with a tissue and handed it to Forafauna.

"Scan mode." She said loudly.

A few seconds passed as Forafauna printed a sheet of paper.

May looked at it and gasped,

"What is it?!" Jimmy said.

"Cindy's blood stream was injected with a dangerous chemical…." May looked up from the page.

"Someone tried to poison her."

It was an hour after Cindy had almost been poisoned. The police had been called, but they couldn't find the culprit.

May was just about to go to sleep when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Uh, thanks for saving my life May."

May swirled around to see Cindy.

"Oh, hey, it was nothing; you would have done the same for me." May said.

Cindy sighed._ She saved my life… maybe she's not so bad after all…_

"Well, good night May" Cindy said.

"Night Cindy" May said.

Cindy smiled, and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Jimmy was in his room with Carl and Sheen, worrying about Cindy.

"Who would have done that!! This is terrible!" Jimmy yelled wile pacing back and forth.

"I thought you said you didn't care about Cindy," Carl said.

"Well forget what I said! Some one came after Cindy, and they could come for you guys too!"

"WHAT!! I'm too young to die!!" Sheen screamed dramatically.

"Well, listen. We have to be very careful. This is serious guys. We may be in big danger…" Jimmy told them as he looked out the window. Despite what happened, Carl and Sheen found a way to fall asleep, and eventually Jimmy did too.

That night there was a shadow at the window. The shadow saw the boys, alive and well, and scowled.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day was the first challenge

The next day was the first challenge. U.S.A. was facing off against Russia, Canada was against France, China was against Italy, England was against Mexico, Ireland against Egypt and Australia against Japan. Most other countries didn't compete in the Child Genius world cup. (Note: I just picked the countries randomly, so please don't be offended if yours isn't here.)

"You ready Jimmy?" May said. They where waiting for the tournament to begin in a room out side the stadium.

"Well, I'm nervous…" He replied.

"Cindy said that she was ok, and she's going to cheer us from the stands." May reassured him.

Jimmy smiled. _Cindy is going to cheer for me?_ He thought

"Hey, May, just how brilliant _are_ you?" Jimmy questioned.  
May pivoted on her heal and turned to Jimmy.

"The chronological symposium blockage on mars is relative to the amount of rock based mineral on earth. Was that right?" (A/N: that isn't actually true, I just put a bunch of big words together.)

Jimmy thought for a second "Hmm, Yes, I think your right."

"Good. Lovely. Smashing. Fantastic." May laughed. Then, the intercom came on.

"Kids, the challenge is ready. It's your turn." The intercom blared.

The kids walked out in front of the stadium, and on a hover disk a lady flew over.

"Greeting Children, I'm Andrea Billower, but you may call me Miss Andrea. I will be announcing your tasks, so with out further talking, I will get to the challenge." said the woman.

"When in the stadium, there will be five golden apples hidden on a tree disguised as regular apples, and mixed in with normal apples. You must find the apples, figure out the message they carry by unlocking the code on them, and finish as fast as you can." Miss Andrea said.

May and Jimmy nodded, and then walked in the stadium.

There was the tree, in the middle of a small field, and a grandstand in which all the competitors' friends and family sat, including Carl, Sheen, Libby, and Cindy, who where watching excitedly.

"Team U.S.A. Good luck. On your mark, get set, GO!!" the intercom screeched.

The kids ran to the tree as fast as they could.

"Ok, how can you tell gold from an apple without looking at it?" May yelled over the cheers of the crowd.

"Well, gold is much heavier than an apple, so that branch must be weighed down!" Jimmy replied.

"Over there!" May yelled as she ran over to a branch that was lower than the others. She plucked the apple and rubbed it off, revealing gold.

"Jimmy, the words on here an Angelo-Saxion Ruin script!! I can read it; you go get the other apples!" She screamed.

Jimmy ran to several other dipped branches and checked for apples. He found the four than ran over to May.

"This one says, 'forget'. Here give me that one!" She rubbed of another apple.

"This one says, 'power', and this one," she said motioning to another one, rubbing it of. "-says, 'don't'… This one says, 'your'…and this one says 'brain'' they both paused.

"I know! The massage says: 'Don't forget your brain power!"

"That is correct!!" the intercom said.

The crowd roared with cheers.

"You beat Russia by twenty-three seconds! Congratulations!" it added. The crowd was going insane! People where screaming so loud!

"Nice one May. I didn't know Angelo-Saxion Ruins existed." Jimmy told her.

"Everyone in my family knows it! My ancestors where there when it was invented!" She flashed him a smile then gave him a high five.

The kids heded out of the stadium with Jimmy's parents.

"Jimbo, you did great! And you too May!" Jimmy's dad said.

"Yes Jimmy, where very proud of you!" Jimmy's mom said.

"I wish my parents where here, but there always busy. They didn't have any time to come…" May said sadly.

"Well where here for ya' girl!" Libby told her.

"For ever and ever!" Carl added.

May looked at her new found friends, then at the glimmering city as the sun set below the horizon.

"Thanks guys." She smiled her sweetest smile.

They stood there for a moment, watching the sun sink below the earth.

"Kids! Why don't we go to the theater to celebrate?" Jimmy's mom suggested.

"That would be great Miss Neutron!" Cindy exclaimed.

They headed down to the theater and got tickets, then entered.

They had decided to see the movie "Not to forget" (Note: that isn't a real movie just to tell you.)

The parents sat at the end of the row, next to Carl, then Sheen, then Libby, then May, then Cindy and Jimmy.

The movie started and Sheen's eyes widened. He slurped his Fruitopia uncontrollably, and then turned to Carl.

"Hey Carl?" he said quietly.

"Yes Sheen?" Carl answered.

"I don't understand the movie."

"Sheen, it just started."

"Oh, my bad." Sheen hated being confused.

"So, what was it like to win the first challenge Neutron?" Cindy asked.

"Well, it was just…awesome." Jimmy said, glancing into Cindy's green eyes.

"Um, you want some popcorn?" Jimmy said handing her the popcorn.

"Uh…sure. I'd love some." She replied simply and for a minute Jimmy and Cindy just looked into each other's eyes, until Libby screamed.

"AHHH!! LOOK!!" everyone turned to see a huge spider crawling out of Libby's popcorn bag.

"Goddard, catch that!" Jimmy told Goddard.

A panel on Gonnard's back opened and a mechanical arm reached out and trapped the spider in a see though cup.

"That's a black widow!! It's deadly to anyone it bites!"

"Black Widows don't live in New York… some one did this on purpose." Jimmy said.

Every one went silent.

The kids left and went back to the hotel, but none of them could sleep. This couldn't possibly be coincidence; the creature trapped in the plastic cup wasn't the only poison villain out there...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day they had free. Jimmy's parents went to inform the police about the black widow, leaving the six kids to stay at the hotel.

They had breakfast at the restaurant, (Cindy was nervous but turned out ok.)

They headed back to Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen's room.

"So, what to you want to do?" May said after a few minutes of silence.

"Meet ultra lord?" Sheen suggested.

"Listen to music?" Libby suggested.

"I know what we can do…" May said, a sly smile spread on her face.

"I knew at some point of this trip Forafauna's simulation projector would come in handy!" May turned to her trusted robotic cat.

"Forafauna, activate projector mode!" She said loudly.

"Last week I installed a special projector in Forafauna's hard drive. It can put a special hologram around the room to make it look like where some where else. Let's see, how about a pirate ship!!"

All of a sudden, they appeared on a ship, all dressed in pirate clothes.

"Sweet!! This is totally cool! Cindy, check out my outfit!" Libby squealed.

"It's nice Libby." Cindy answered sweetly.

"Woo Hoo!! Go Sheen! Go Sheen! Youra' pirate! Youra' pirate!!" (I'm sure you know who said that.)

Forafauna morphed into a parrot and sat on May's shoulder.

"This is certainly one of my better inventions!" May exclaimed over the sound of the rushing sea.

May wore a captain's hat and fancy pirate boots. Jimmy looked down to see he too was wearing a fancy pirate suit.

"Hello! First mate Jimmy? I need your help steering this thing!" May yelled over the ocean spray.

"Of course! Be right there!" Jimmy called back.

"Carl! I need you to be the look out! Black beard may be nearby!"

"Aye-Aye captain!" Carl saluted, and then began to clime the ropes to get the lookout perch.

The ocean waves heaved against the boat, and the kids savored there moment of freedom.

Then, they all heard gun shot. The hologram faded and they where back in the room. The kids saw a bullet mark in the wall, and the hotel door was opened!

"Some one was shooting at us while we where in the hologram!" May said, completely terrified.

"Now, this has gotten too far," Jimmy said.

An hour later of standing on guard, Jimmy's parents arrived.

The kids explained every thing that had happened.

"That's it! We can't stay here anymore!" Jimmy's mom declared.

"Uh, yeah! It's unsafe and… um… unsanitary!" Hugh added

"But how are we going to compete in the world tournament!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"We could leave and you could take Goddard to get to the coliseum!" Carl suggested.

"You could go into the future and find out what the future Jimmy did!" Libby added.

"You could just catch the crook," Sheen suggested.

All went silent.

"You know, that really isn't such a bad idea." Jimmy said

"I'm on it!!" May said.

"I'm sooooooooo getting back at who ever did this!!" Cindy threatened.

The kids stayed at the hotel for that night, because Jimmy's parents couldn't find any where else. Goddard was guarding the boy's room, and Forafauna secured the girls room.

"May, who could have done this! They'd have to be brilliant to have gotten away without any clues left behind!!" Libby said to the other girls as she stared at the ceiling.

"I dunno" May replied.

The boys where over in there room, and the girls where hanging out in theirs.

"Well, they can't have gotten to far… Hey! Maybe it's some other contestant in the world cup, which would explain how they could be that smart!" Libby exclaimed.

"One problem: how could they get a black widow, poison, and a gun? Police would have checked for things like that when they where crossing the border." Cindy said, trying to be logical.

"Right. Well, does Jimmy have any enemies?" May questioned.

Cindy scoffed. "Baby Eddie, Grandma Taters, King Goobot, the Junkman, professor Calamitus, Beautiful Gorgeous, and Eustace Stritch. Not to mention Evil Jimmy, and…." Cindy said, but was interrupted.

"That many! Well, I have a ton of enemies too; The Creature, Miss Forktiff, Yoilum, Cousin Wayne, Dr. Johnston, Baby Andy…" May listed.

"Whoa, that's way too many to remember!!" Libby said, holding her head from confusion.

"The point is that there are so many possibilities… I don't think this is gona' be that easy." May pointed out.

Meanwhile...

"Jimmy, I'm scared, I don't want to die!!" Carl whimpered.

"Yeah Jim, if I'm dead I'll never meet ultra lord!!" Sheen added.

"Guys! Don't worry. Goddard would never let any harm come to us when he's on guard." Jimmy assured.

"The next challenge is tomorrow, your parents can find a different hotel while you wait for the challenge." Carl told Jimmy.

"But there is one question that can solve all our problems, WHAT WOULD ULTRA LORD DO?!" Sheen said, his hand raised over his head.

"Sheen, I don't think ultra lord can help us right now." Jimmy replied.

"WHAT!! Ultra lord can do ANYTHING!! You just aren't worthy of him!" Sheen defended his ultra lord action figure.

"Well, I'm tired. It's time to sleep." Carl yawned. He fell asleep within seconds.

"Carl's right… I shall dream of the Artiritian galaxy where my kingdom awaits!!" Sheen exclaimed. Then he too fell asleep.

Jimmy watched to two for a minute, then he shut off his bedside light and he too drifted off.

That night Jimmy's mind was tormented with nightmares, and he was having a particularly scary one when he felt something brush against his arm. He woke up to see a cloaked figure in front of him. He tried to scream, but the figure put a hand around his mouth.

"I do not mean to harm you James. I've come to warn you," A female voice said from under the black hood.

"Let me explain: The tournament you are in… it's a trap! You may not realize it… but people die in it. I know because my brother was put in it and…" she paused. "I never saw him again. I'm not going to let that happen to you."

Jimmy wriggled his way out of the other persons grasp.

"Who are you!? Why do you even care about me!? I can tell that's a lie. You can't fool me." Jimmy said defiantly.

The girl sighed.

"I can't stop you James… but I had to warn you. If you choose to stay in the competition, there's a good chance you'll die."

"Why are you warning _me_ anyway? There are so many other people in this competition; some would need the heads up more than I do!" Jimmy questioned.

"I can't tell you. You'll find out soon enough." And with that, she and the other cloaked figure disappeared.

Jimmy was left in his room, confused and worried.

_What if she's right…I don't want to put May in danger…_

He sighed. _Geez...That girl owes me an explanation! I bet she has some thing to do with all these near death experiences…_ he sighed again, then put his head back to his pillow, but just couldn't fall asleep.

The next morning, Jimmy made his decision to stay in the competition, no matter what happened. There was one thing he couldn't get out of his head though; that voice sounded strangely familiar...


End file.
